Unnecessary radiation exposure during radiological examinations and treatments should be further reduced.
On-site assessments by independent experts, known as clinical audits, can further improve the use of ionizing radiation in hospitals and X-ray institutes. The Federal Council was informed about a report on the status of implementation of these audits. This shows that they have become established and are leading to improvements. For example, they help to avoid unnecessary medical radiation doses for patients.
In Switzerland, the average radiation exposure of the population from medical applications has increased by around 40 percent over the last 20 years. The main reason for this is the increasing number of computed tomography examinations.
In view of the effects of ionizing radiation on health, clinical audits were carried out in over 190 establishments throughout Switzerland in the fields of radiology and nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, and cardiology. These audits showed that the establishments are well organized in terms of radiation protection. There is room for improvement, for example, in determining whether an examination is justified or could be carried out without radiation.
The on-site assessments also proved very useful in reducing radiation exposure – on both sides: On the one hand, the use of ionizing radiation in the companies examined was optimized. For example, a study by the Cardiology Clinic at the University Hospital of Zurich showed that clinical audits significantly reduced the radiation dose per patient and during the insertion of pacemakers. The audits also help to improve radiation protection for staff in the operating room. On the other hand, the findings of the experts who carried out the audits enabled processes in the company to be adapted.
Since 2018, the Radiation Protection Ordinance has provided for the possibility of conducting clinical audits every five years in establishments that use medical radiation. The relevant professional associations were closely involved in the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) project from the outset. This strengthened acceptance of the project and promoted close cooperation between all parties involved.
At the beginning of 2026, the project will be transferred to a national program. In future, around 30 businesses throughout Switzerland will be audited each year. An evaluation of the program by the FOPH is planned for 2030.
